Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 458 - 405: Now devoting my life to cultivation, I wish to compete with the heavens.
DOOM——
The grand and resonant sound of the Dao bell echoed throughout the Shenxiao Sect Gate.
All the cultivators within the sect, from the great Dao Experts of the Dao Body Realm down to the Outer Sect Cultivators of the Initiate Realm, were all surprised and looked up.
The ringing of the Shenxiao Dao bell only happened for one of two reasons.
The first was that the Shenxiao Sect faced a great crisis and needed to summon all its Sect Members to fight the enemy together.
Yet now, Dianchuan Province was as calm as still water, without any ripples, and there had been no news of any incidents recently.
Therefore, only one possibility remained.
Has someone in our sect advanced to the Dao Body Realm?
At the same time, from each of the seventy-two Spirit Peaks, a whistling Lei Mang shot up into the sky, filled with considerable surprise, curiosity, and astonishment, heading straight for the Sect Master Peak.
Before the Sect Master Hall, a crowd was bustling.
The Peak Masters of each mountain were all full of curiosity as they asked each other.
"Who has broken through to the Dao Body Realm?"
"How would I know? I haven’t heard of any Sect Member breaking through the Blood-Stained Peak in recent years?"
"Hey, this is strange indeed. Could it be one of the Sect Master’s personal disciples?"
"That’s possible. If it were someone from our Spirit Peak, there would have been some word of it."
Standing a bit towards the back of the crowd, Daoist Priest Yunqing nudged Daoist Yunxiong with his elbow.
"Yunxiong, it couldn’t be your Qi Xiu, could it?"
"Qi Xiu?"
Daoist Yunxiong furrowed his brows upon hearing this and shook his head with certainty after thinking for a moment.
"It shouldn’t be. Although Xiuer is at the Blood-Stained Peak, he’s been in the Valley of Deceased Gods for less than a year. By all accounts, he shouldn’t have left seclusion yet. It can’t be him."
Seeing how certain Daoist Yunxiong was, Daoist Priest Yunqing also rubbed his goatee with curiosity.
"In that case, it should be one of the Sect Master’s personal disciples. Tsk tsk tsk, no matter which of those children has broken through to the Dao Body Realm, our Shenxiao Sect has indeed gained a formidable warrior."
The Dao Body Realm is slightly different from the Initiate and Blood-Stained Realms.
Following the Dharma Gates one cultivates, the Dao Body Realm achieved through different Daoist Inheritances can display significant differences in strength.
Although this can be somewhat discerned in the Initiate and Blood-Stained Realms, it is particularly clear in the Dao Body Realm.
After all, the strongest capability of the Dao Body Realm—the Daoist Spirit!
It is entirely formed based on one’s own Dao Path, something predestined even from the time of entering the Dao-Entering Realm.
The more powerful the Daoist Inheritance, the more formidable the Daoist Spirit that is formed.
This is due to an insurmountable and irremediable foundation.
It is also why the great ancient sects and powerful houses have always been able to hold positions of dominance.
"Hmm, in this eventful autumn, it’s indeed a good thing for our Shenxiao Sect that these children are able to break through at this opportunity."
With the opening of the Sect Master Hall, a group of Elders of the Dao Body eagerly stepped inside.
"We pay our respects to the Supreme Sect Leader."
In the center of the Sect Master Hall, Dongfang Qing sat in the Sect Master’s seat. The Elders of the Dao Body bowed in salute, while pairs of curious eyes searched around for the newly advanced Dao Expert.
"Today I have summoned you all here to make an important announcement."
Noticing the expressions on everyone’s faces, which suggested they had already guessed, Dongfang Qing smiled.
"But looking at you all, it appears you might have already guessed what I am about to say."
"Sect Master, don’t keep us in suspense any longer! Let this newly advanced fellow member of the Dao Body Realm come out."
"Yes, let us see."
Watching the gradually rising voices, Dongfang Qing’s smile flourished. He raised his hand slightly to signal everyone to calm down, then spoke in a gentle voice,
"So be it. Then I will introduce our Shenxiao Sect’s newly advanced True Monarch of the Dao Body: Hunyuan Myriad Laws True Monarch—Qi Xiu."
As Dongfang Qing’s words fell, Qi Xiu, with a smile on his lips and an expression tinged with modesty, walked out from behind the hall, still wearing that simple Deep Blue Taoist Robe.
But the moment Qi Xiu stepped out, all the Dao Experts of the Shenxiao Sect present saw, in the void behind him, that massive, faintly discernible shadow!
The unique Divine Marvel of Dao Experts—the Daoist Spirit!
"Qi Xiu pays his respects to all Senior Uncles and Martial Uncles."
HISS!
Never having expected the new Dao Expert to be Qi Xiu, the hall burst with a chorus of sharp intakes of breath.
Then, almost everyone’s gaze turned to Daoist Yunxiong, who stood at the back with a dazed expression.
Truly... truly Xiuer?
The intense shock left Daoist Yunxiong momentarily unable to react until Daoist Priest Yunqing, beside him, jabbed him several times, after which he gradually came to his senses.
"Yunxiong, you’ve done quite well for yourself, quietly nurturing a Dao Expert! Truly, silent until it’s a thunderous revelation that shocks the heavens and earth!"
"Indeed! With two Dao Experts on a single peak, your Yunti Peak is set to prosper, hahaha!"
"Treat us, treat us! If we don’t feast until Yunti Peak is cleaned out, I won’t be satisfied!"
Amid the ribbing and laughter from his fellow martial brothers, Daoist Yunxiong, while smiling and responding, walked towards Qi Xiu.
"Master."
Looking at Daoist Yunxiong, Qi Xiu bent down to salute.
However, Daoist Yunxiong quickly steadied him.
"You are now a Great Power True Monarch; I, your master, cannot accept such a bow from you." With a face full of gratification, he looked at his young disciple—surprised, yet somehow not surprised at all.
Ever since he took Qi Xiu as his disciple, his conduct in all matters could be called perfect.
Moreover, he hardly needed to exert much effort on his part, as Qi Xiu’s cultivation journey had largely been achieved on his own.
By the age of one hundred, he had already reached the Blood-Stained Peak.
And now, he had given his master an immense surprise.
Feeling gratified, Daoist Yunxiong couldn’t help but gently pat his young disciple on the shoulder.
"You’ve worked hard on this journey."
Achieving the Dao Expert Realm by the age of one hundred.
If it weren’t for experiencing hardships and dangers unimaginable to ordinary people, how could such an achievement be possible?
Meeting Daoist Yunxiong’s gaze, Qi Xiu first smiled and then slowly nodded.
Achieving the Dao Expert Realm by the age of one hundred.
This achievement, in the eyes of others, could be said to be the highest honor.
After all, the fastest in the history of the Shenxiao Sect to achieve the Dao Body Realm was that ancestral master from the revival period.
And he was one hundred and seventy-five when he achieved the Dao Body Realm, more than seventy years older than Qi Xiu.
Throughout these hundred years, ever since he stepped onto the path of cultivation, Qi Xiu had not slackened for a single moment.
Perhaps with the help of the Divine Marvel of Proficiency, he could bypass many issues other cultivators found difficult to resolve.
But this Dao Path was one he measured out step by step with his own feet.
The Initiate Realm, the Blood-Stained Realm, the Dao Body Realm—each time he broke through a realm and underwent tribulation, he nearly fell into a deadly peril.
If there had been just one mishap or deviation at any point, there would be no Hunyuan Myriad Laws True Monarch, merely a pile of dry bones buried underground or tossed away to some unknown location.
To this day, he had finally achieved the Great Dao.
Tired? Yes, tired, physically and mentally exhausted. Resentful? Not at all! This life is dedicated to the path of cultivation, aspiring to compete with the heavens!
"Alright, I have gathered everyone here today not only to acquaint you with this newly promoted True Monarch of the Dao Body in our sect," Dongfang Qing announced, "but I also have another matter to declare. Given that the time is ripe, our sect intends to reactivate the Hell All-Phenomena Map and will choose an auspicious day to open it."
Upon hearing Dongfang Qing’s words, the Dao Experts below all showed looks of surprise, evidently finding this news no less unexpected than Qi Xiu’s achievement as a Dao Expert.
Hell All-Phenomena Map?
Upon hearing this name, some information related to this item surfaced in Qi Xiu’s mind, though these details were things he had only read about in the sect’s library, and their completeness and accuracy remained uncertain.
Hell All-Phenomena Map!
Originally called the Hell Enlightenment Dais!
A colossal Magical Treasure created by the Hell Sect, pouring the entire sect’s resources into its construction.
According to records, when creating this Magical Treasure, the Hell Sect paid a tremendous price to invite six Primordial Spirit Bosses from the other Ten Great Demon Sects.
Together with the Hell Sect’s own three Primordial Spirit Bosses, a total of nine Primordial Spirit Bosses, along with hundreds of Dao Experts, spent a thousand years to complete its initial forging. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
This Magical Treasure, as envisioned by the Hell Sect, was meant to be a revolutionary creation that could change the Demonic Path system.
However, less than a hundred years after this Magical Treasure was initially forged, the Shenxiao Sect went to war with the Hell Sect.
Subsequently, following their defeat, the Hell Sect’s Mountain Gate was packed up by the Shenxiao Sect and taken back, naturally including this Hell Enlightenment Dais—a Magical Treasure that the Hell Sect had poured immense effort into creating but had never used, not even for a single day.
While the library’s records detailed the provenance of this Magical Treasure, they did not mention its specific miraculous effects.
Now, hearing the Sect Master announce the reactivation of the rebranded Hell All-Phenomena Map, the Elders of the Dao Body all exhibited surprise. This prompted Qi Xiu to inquire curiously of Daoist Yunxiong, who was beside him.
"Master, what exactly is the Hell All-Phenomena Map? Why does everyone look so surprised at the Sect Master’s decision to reactivate this Magical Treasure?"
"This Hell All-Phenomena Map was the Hell Sect’s painstaking masterpiece. Once activated, it can channel the Hell Avenue, perfectly creating an illusory hellish void. This illusory hellish void is virtually identical to the outside world; it could even be considered a new world.
"Cultivators from outside can project their souls into this Hell All-Phenomena Map, using the Hell Avenue to temper their souls. Furthermore, no matter how severe the damage suffered by their souls within this Hell All-Phenomena Map, even if they are annihilated on the spot, they can be reversed and restored.
"The Hell Sect’s aim in creating this Magical Treasure was to compensate for the shortcomings of Demon Cultivators, whose extreme Temperaments and flawed, perverse souls led to slow advancements in their Divine Soul Realm."
"Aren’t the Hell Sect’s various Dharma Gates very proficient at tempering the soul? Why go through all the trouble to create this Magical Treasure?" Qi Xiu didn’t quite understand. After all, the [Yama’s Golden Chapter] he cultivated was the Hell Sect’s core True Scripture.
From this True Scripture Volume, one could see the Hell Sect’s attainments in the Dao of the soul; they were absolutely supreme, looking down on the world with disdain.
"When Demon Sects recruit disciples, the quality is uneven. Although the Hell Sect’s soul Dharma Gates are powerful, they have extremely high requirements for Aptitude and comprehension. The Hell Sect has always had a weak presence among the Middle-Aged Demon Sects, also because its own Sect Members were too few, far fewer than other Demon Sects. They poured immense effort into creating this Hell All-Phenomena Map, hoping to use this Magical Treasure to cultivate their disciples in large numbers. Unfortunately for them, after all their painstaking effort, they never got to use it for a single day; instead, it benefited our Shenxiao Sect."
Composed and unhurried, Daoist Yunxiong slowly revealed the reasons behind it.
"The Sect Master just said ’restart’ this Hell All-Phenomena Map; could it be that this Magical Treasure had been activated before?"
"Yes, and it was precisely because of that rash activation that we nearly brought about the gravest calamity in the history of our Shenxiao Sect..."
